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Microsoft needs to realise that not all PCs are used in busy office environments. It is a *personal* computer after all! Why can’t they put some kind of software switch which allows you to turn off *all* these restrictions? If I screw it up, that’s my problem.

How about big switch graphic on a options screen … Windows Smart (for us) – Windows Stupid (for the unwashed masses). I’d pay extra for that kind of functionality! Like you, I want GOD-level access to all of the files on my computer…I’m the human, Darn it!

I would love to meet the guy who came up with the registry, in a dark alley one night!

Him along with Steve B. and the “Let’s get rid of all the menu(s)” guy – need to be tarred and feathered and run out of Redmond!

I’m not going to say it perfect. There may be some useless lines in it.

***Back-up your existing hosts file!!!!*** – Just good common sense.
***Standard disclaimers apply!!!*** – It’s not my fault if you bork your system!

********************************Starts below this line**************

Code:

# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a ‘#’ symbol.
#
# For example:
#
#      102.54.94.97     rhino.acme.com          # source server
#       38.25.63.10     x.acme.com              # x client host

127.0.0.1       localhost
###### ADDED BY DAVE 5-22-11

127.0.0.1  kona.kontera.com
127.0.0.1  us.intellitxt.com                               #don’t know if you can block all us.intellitxt.com like this
127.0.0.1  firingsquad.us.intellitxt.com                # or if you need to do this for every one — I’m leaving it in
127.0.0.1  compnet.us.intellitxt.com                   # just to be sure
127.0.0.1  ign.us.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  guru3d.us.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  devshed.us.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  examnotes.us.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  experts.us.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  forbes.us.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  icentric.us.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  itxt2.us.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  lmcd.us.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  penton.us.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  rydium.us.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  toms.us.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  tribal.us.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  images.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  quinstreet.us.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  qsstats.com
127.0.0.1  uk.intellitxt.com
127.0.0.1  vibrantmedia.com
127.0.0.1  itxt.vibrantmedia.com
127.0.0.1  usads.vibrantmedia.com
127.0.0.1  usnews.vibrantmedia.com
127.0.0.1  www.vibrantmedia.com
127.0.0.1  text.burstnet.com

127.0.0.1  appetyze.com
127.0.0.1  googleads.g.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1  adchoices.com
127.0.0.1  adwords.google.com 
127.0.0.1  intellitxt.com

***********************ends above this line*************

Dave

Hi Fred,

I use my hosts file as a ad killer. Personally, I can’t stand those mouseover popups. I read along while moving my mouse so I have this garbage popping up in my face interrupting the flow of my reading. So I edited my hosts file to send those links to oblivion. I originally looked at the prepackaged hosts files but thought that they were too bloated and would probably slow down browsing, hence my home rolled solution. Currently, its not even 60 lines long, but it stops konterra, intellitxt, doubleclick and vibrantmedia just to name a few widespread troublemakers. Trust me, the few broken ad-links that show up in the margins of webpages don’t make me cry, and none of those sites are tracking me as a bonus.

Dave

I started reading this article and after the first couple of paragraphs, I realized that I was wasting my time. I agree with Mark, above; this content is hardly why I pay to subscribe to Windows Secrets. I’m looking for facts about how to make my customer’s and my computing easier, safer and more productive. Or how to fix/circumvent some silly “feature” that M$ put in their OS.

I admit that being green is in vogue, but does it qualify as a entire column in Windows Secrets? This content should be on an external link, or in a different newsletter (like “Green Computing Secrets” or somesuch).

Dargoth11 ( an evil energy over-user :;): )

I’ve lost count of the number of people who are asking me why IE9 constantly crashes. If it was only a few isolated users, you know – user error – but this is something else entirely. These are people who have been using IE8 with (almost) no problems…Update to IE9 and BAM! crashes, lockups, error reporting endless loops.

I’ve started telling them to run Chrome or Firefox or try uninstalling IE9 (which usually means I’m going to have to do it.) once this is done they start being productive again.

Just who worked on this thing? The Windows ME team? Maybe that’s what we should start calling it “IE ME” or “IE Vista“! :;):

If you are one of the “3” people that IE 9 actually works for, I’m happy for you! :fanfare: Maybe you should send in your systems for analysis…so that M$ can figure out what is the recipe to run IE 9 (mostly) error free.

Telling people to install this thing is BAD ADVICE!